Crystalline coated herbage having a consistent cannabinoid concentration

ABSTRACT

Herbage such as cannabis flower having a thin coating including crystallized cannabinoids having an average diameter of less than 100 microns. The thin coating is in a ratio of no more than 1:10 on a weight to weight basis so that the total cannabinoid content of the herbage does not exceed 35% by weight. THCA crystals in the form of granules or powder to coat the herbage. In one embodiment, the herbage is heated to less than 100 degrees F. to enable the coating to adhere. The coating improves structural integrity of the herbage so it resists crushing when transported or stacked in a container or during storage. The coating inhibits deleterious interactions between the herbage and ambient air while achieving a standardized THCtotal content.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 17/893,712, filed 23 Aug. 2022, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This patentapplication relates in subject matter to commonly owned U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 17/990,991, filed 21 Nov. 2022, and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 17/960,682, filed 5 Oct. 2022, the disclosures ofwhich are also incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to more efficient ways of coating andpreserving herbage to yield a consistent herbal product that can besmoked, steeped or eaten. More particularly this invention relates tocannabinoid-coated herbage having an improved shelf life and astandardized cannabinoid profile.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The term herbage is any herbal substrate that can be consumed by humans.Consumption can be orally via the digestive tract. Tea, soft drinks andedible products are example of orally consumed products. Consumption canalso be smokable via the pulmonary pathway. Thus, herbage may becannabis, or any herbage commonly smoked, steeped or eaten. Steepedherbage is commonly used in teas and bottled beverages.

In one use case of the present invention, a crystallinetetrahydrocannabinolic acid “THCA” coating is applied to cannabis flowerto achieve a standardized potency. Standardization is important formedicinal applications. It can be appreciated that alternate embodimentssubstitute the crystalline tetrahydrocannabinolic acid THCA coating withcrystalline cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), crystalline cannabigerolic acid(CBGA), crystalline tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCVA) or any othercannabinoids in crystalline form, and combinations thereof.

Cannabis customers outside of the medical sphere also desire cannabisflower (“bud”) having a predictable cannabinoid concentration, and aconsistent cannabinoid profile. Standardization delivers a consistentsmell, flavor, smoothness, and bioactivity to a user. Standardizationdoes include the bioactivity of cannabinoids, including THC. “THC”usually refers to the trans-Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol. Standardizationalso can deliver consistency in aroma and flavor when flavonoids,aromatic components and terpenes are utilized.

In accord with the present invention, a batch of cannabis biomass isharvested, the flowers are separated and trimmed for distribution. Theclippings (“trim”) and leaves are collected and utilized in a parallelprocess to extract terpenes, flavonoids, other aromatic components, andcannabinoids, which can be added back into the cannabis flower productof the present invention in any of various forms, such as crystallizedcannabinoids and terpene coatings.

Standardized extracts in the herbal industry arose to satisfy the needto create a uniform product for clinical trials. The present inventionincludes a standardized cannabis flower that has a standardizedcannabinoid content, and also herbage with a standardized cannabinoidcoating. The standardized cannabis flower or herbage of the presentinvention can be smoked, steeped into an infused beverage, or used as afood ingredient.

Standardization typically takes two forms. One is based on identifyingand quantifying an extract to a characteristic chemical marker compound.The second, identifies and concentrates an array of active constituents.In the present invention the total cannabinoid content is standardized.In an alternate embodiment the total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC_(total))content is standardized.

The present invention is different than known standardization ofproducts, because the product to be standardized is not an extract perse, but raw herbage. The way standardization is accomplished includesbeginning with a batch of cannabis biomass. The biomass is processed andthe flowers trimmed. The next step is coating the trimmed cannabisflowers from the batch, with a crystalline form of THCA or othercannabinoids derived from trim and leaves of this batch of cannabisbiomass from which that the cannabis flower originated.

The crystal size (diameter) is adapted to increase the THC_(total),which is THC+(THCA×0.877) to a desired consistent or standardized level.Since trace cannabinoids are typically less than 1% of the totalcannabinoid content of a cannabis flower, the THC_(total) value roughlyequals the total cannabinoid content the herbage or cannabis flower. Theconstant 0.877 is used because THCA is reduced by a factor of 0.877 whenreduced by heat to THC during smoking. Preferably, the crystal diameteris less than 100 microns, on average.

In particular, cannabinoids, primarily THCA, are processed to yieldcrystals that are pure i.e. over 90% THCA, and which can be powdered orgranulated to desired sizes and applied to the cannabis flower to yielda standardized product, having a consistent total amount of THC_(total).The standardized product can also be engineered to achieve consistent orstandardized levels of selected other cannabinoids found in the cannabisbiomass.

The size of the granulated crystals can be adjusted to regulate theamount of cannabinoids that adheres to the cannabis flower. With otherfactors being equal, the average granule diameter determines coatingthickness. Regulating the coating thickness through granule sizemanagement is a preferred manner in which standardization resultsaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

In one embodiment, the granule size is typically less than 25-100microns, and is less than 20-70 microns in another embodiment, and inyet another embodiment, is less than 60 microns. In an embodiment with avery thin film, the granule size is between 10-20 micron, and is nearlyinvisible to achieve less than 2% of the total cannabinoid content ofthe cannabis flower product.

The granule size determines coating thickness and, thus, the THC_(total)content of the cannabis flower, or herbage product in accord with thepresent invention. THC_(total) is determined on a weight to weight w:wbasis and is the percentage of total THC to the total weight of theherbage or cannabis bud.

THC is a Δ⁹ tetrahydrocannabinol isomer. While THC can be formed into aglass-like sheet called shatter, or a distillate powder, it does notnaturally crystallize under most conditions.

THCA, however, can naturally crystallize when in a concentratedsolution. In ideal conditions THCA crystals naturally form without heator agitation or any particular catalyst. Some believe that it is easierunder most circumstances to use crystallization to concentrate THCA thanit is to concentrate THC.

THCA has two major isomers, THCA-A, in which the carboxylic acid groupis in the 1 position, between the hydroxy group and the carbon chain,and THCA-B, in which the carboxylic acid group is in the 3 position,following the carbon chain. Both isomers, when crystallized, typicallyhave a colorless appearance. The terms “tetrahydrocannabinolic acid”,and “THCA”, as used herein includes either one of these isomers, or acombination of both.

Many customers of cannabis products believe that naturally occurringcomponents are desirable and additives and adjuncts are less desirable.This is especially true for smokable products, products used in a tea,and edible products. It can be generalized that customers like naturalproducts because there is less perceived risk of toxicity.

Cannabis flower (sometimes termed “bud”) and other biomass can befortified to improved the total cannabinoid content. The sum of detectedTHC and THCA is typically a fair estimate the total cannabinoid contentin marijuana because these are the most abundant cannabinoids.

Market research indicates that people that smoke cannabis flower preferan incremental dosing regime, i.e. smoking over a period of time withmore than one inhalation. Thus, the desirable concentration ofcannabinoids in cannabis flower or bud should be kept below a thresholdlevel to enable moderate users of cannabis to enjoy more than oneinhalation of smokable cannabis flower in a smoking session. Morepreferably, a standardized cannabis flower product is provided.

What is desired is a way of fortifying smokable cannabis flower or budthat preserves volatile terpenes, is visually pleasing, and that doesnot radically increase the total cannabinoid content of the totalcannabis flower or bud material.

What is also desired is a way of making a cannabis product for smoking,tea making, or for edibles that is consistent in terms of totalcannabinoid content, cannabinoid profiles, and terpene profiles.

The present invention is a fortified cannabis flower material with athin layer of crystallized THCA to, in some cases, create a glitter-likeaesthetic, to seal the cannabis flower to reduce volatilization ofvarious terpenes, flavonoids and aromatic components, and to gentlyincrease the total cannabinoid content of the cannabis flower to yield astandardized cannabis flower. Ideally the standardized cannabis flowerwill have a total cannabinoid content that does not vary more than 3%between batches, and preferably less than 1% between batches.

More specifically the present invention includes a sprayed or otherwiseapplied coating of THCA crystals sufficient to create a semi-reflectivecoating on the cannabis flower or bud. The semi-reflective coatingincluding visible granules of THCA having an average crystallinediameter of less than 25 microns, and which can be further ground toless than 12 microns to regulate coating thickness and enablestandardization of THCA per weight of cannabis flower. In one embodimentthe THCA crystals having an average diameter between 10-100 microns andthe coating crystal size is sufficiently regulated to add 10% more THCAthan found naturally in the cannabis flower.

One preferred method of preparing the surface of the cannabis flower isto gently heat it to between ambient temperature to 100 degrees F. Thisallows natural oils to leach to the surface of the cannabis flower toenable crystallized cannabinoids (granules or powdered form) to beapplied and adhere to the surface of the cannabis flower. The cannabisflower is tumbled at this temperature with a crystallized powder orgranules of cannabinoids that adhere to the warmed surface of thecannabis flower. In another embodiment, a shaker is used to shake thecannabis flower with the crystallized powder or granules ofcannabinoids.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the crystallizedgranules or powdered form of cannabinoids is applied as a second coatingto the cannabis flower. In this embodiment, a first coating of THC isapplied prior to the second coating to create a sticky surface for thecrystallized cannabinoids to adhere.

It can be appreciated that while cannabis flower is disclosed herein,the use of cannabis flower is optional and the cannabis flower can bereplaced with any other flower or herbage sought to be coated with aconsistent and standardized crystalline coating of cannabinoids.

It can also be appreciated that this invention is disclosed in terms ofTHC and THCA usage as the primary cannabinoids, that trace cannabinoidscan also be crystallized and applied to herbage in the same manner asdescribed in the manner that THC and THCA are described. In oneembodiment, for example, a mixture of crystallized THCA and CBDA areapplied in crystal form.

In another embodiment, CBN is applied as a mixture with THC as a firstcoating to the cannabis flower (or other herbage) to enable THCA to beadhered to the surface of the cannabis flower. In this embodiment,various non-cannabinoid plant components such as terpenes, flavonoids,and aromatic components extracted from the non-flower portions of acannabis plant can be re-introduced to the cannabis flower of the samecannabis plant. In this way active terpenes, flavonoids, and aromaticcomponents can be used to bolster flavor, smell and bio-activity of thecannabis flower material.

In all embodiments, the combined cannabinoids applied can be adjusted toyield a consistent cannabinoid profile of any product of the presentinvention. Further, the non-cannabinoid plant components of the plantfrom which the cannabis flower was derived can be extracted andre-introduced to the flower material to yield a consistentnon-cannabinoid plant component profile without additives.

The combination of the cannabinoid and non-cannabinoid plant componentscan be adjusted and re-introduced to the flower material to yield aconsistent cannabinoid and non-cannabinoid profile to extend shelf life,or to fortify the flavor, smell, look or bio-efficacy of the cannabisflower. This yields a more valuable product when compared to untreatedcontrol cannabis flowers.

While the use of the combination of cannabis flower and non-flowercomponents from the same cannabis plant are described, the combinationcan also be derived from particular batches of cannabis plants having asingle variety or shared genetic profile.

In one embodiment of the invention, a cannabis flower material formedical studies, patient recommendation, or prescription can be providedas a product of the present invention. This medical product can have astandardized amount of particular cannabinoids or non-cannabinoidcomponents to deliver to a subject or patient under medical care.Accordingly, the present invention includes a “standardized” medicalmarijuana flower, “standardized” medical marijuana tea, and“standardized” medical marijuana edibles when the standardized medicalmarijuana flower of the present invention is combined with, anddelivered as a bioactive dose of a food product.

The cannabis flower or bud has an initial total cannabinoid content, andapplication of the coating increases the cannabinoid content by no morethan 10% in one embodiment of the invention.

In another embodiment of the invention, the coating is applied byspraying the cannabis flower or bud. In a variation of this invention,the coating is applied by painting the coating on the cannabis flower orbud. In yet another embodiment, the coating is applied by tumbling thecannabis flower or bud in a tumbler with the coating material.

In one embodiment, the coating material includes a first coating of THCand a second coating of THCA granules or powder. The THC enables theTHCA granules or powder to stick to the cannabis flower or bud.

In another embodiment of the invention, the coating is applied to plantbiomass or herbage that is not cannabis flower. For example the presentinvention can be applied to other smokable herbage such as tobaccoleaves, or catnip flowers.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the coating is thin, andrepresents less than 10% of the weight of the herbage that is coated. Inthe case of cannabis flower, the coating increases the total cannabinoidcontent by no more than 10% in a preferred embodiment. More preferably,the cannabinoid content is increased by 1-2%, having a primary purposeof standardizing the total cannabinoid content across multiple cannabisflowers in at least one batch. Standardization by regulating the totalcannabinoid content across multiple batches to enable a consistentproduct for customers, medical professionals, and scientificresearchers.

Preferably, the total cannabinoid content is the sum total oftetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabinol, and cannabigerol in bothacid and non-acid forms in the coating and in the cannabis flower.

In a variation of a preferred embodiment, the coating includes a 1:1ratio of THC to THCA. This optimizes preservation of volatile componentsof the cannabis flower or bud, strengthens the flower structure to makethe coated cannabis flower and bud more stackable and transportablewithout structural degradation, reflects a portion of incident light,including UVA and UVB light, that could degrade cannabinoids in thecannabis flower.

In an alternate embodiment, the ratio of coating to the cannabis floweron a weight to weight basis is no more than 1:10 to enable moderatecannabinoid consumption via smoking, or stated differently to enable auser to enjoy smoking more than one inhalation without excessivepsychoactive effects.

Preferably the total cannabinoid content of the coating cannabis floweror coated non-cannabis herbage, is 20-35% on a weight to weight basis.The cannabinoid content is predominantly THC_(total), which is the sumof both THCA and THC, adjusted by the conversion constant 0.877multiplied by the THCA number to compensate for the reduction of THCAduring conversion to THC when heated such as during smoking. Simplystated THC_(total)=THC+[(0.877)×THCA]. Total cannabinoid content mayinclude other cannabinoids in trace amounts, in accordance with thecannabis biomass that is processed, but the amount of trace cannabinoidsare typically mathematically insignificant.

A method of one embodiment of the present invention includes utilizingtwo primary steps to yield a concentrated THC cannabis product that ispurple in color without the use of dyes or additives. This THC cannabisconcentrate product can be modified in various post processing steps tomake shatter or distillate having aroma and flavor, without additivesnot found in the original cannabis material used for the process.Various consumer products can be manufactured using the post processedTHC product, which typically is purple in color, having at least 90% THCcontent. Such consumer products may be engineered to have a desirableflavor and aroma. The form of this concentrated THC product can be aglass-like shatter product or packaged distillate, for example. Morepreferably the consumer products have a greater than 95% THC content.

The first step is to use a centrifuge to achieve THCA separation.Optimally this is accomplished by centrifuging rosin press filter bagsof cannabis material and including a suitable solvent such as pentane orhexane. In various alternate embodiments, the filter bags are replacedwith stainless steel baskets or other shape 20-30 micron filters.Preferably the filter has an average of 25 micron pore diameter size inall embodiments. The coating process of the present invention may be twosteps. A first step is to spray liquefied THC on the cannabis flower, orother herbage, the second step is to apply THCA crystals in the form ofpowder or granules onto to the liquefied THC. Liquefied THC may be inthe form of whole plant extract cannabis oil.

The pentane partially, or fully saturates, the cannabis material.Preferably the cannabis material is full spectrum cannabis oil having atleast 60% THCA content. The filter bags have pores with an averagediameter of 25 microns to retain THCA within the bags during thecentrifuge process. This concentrates the THCA to over 95% purity, andoften over 98% purity, yielding a first concentrated THCA product. Thisis a very fast an efficient way to achieve a concentrated THCA product.The THCA crystals may agglomerate to a final size of 100 microns, 60microns, or other size optimized for a desired coating thickness. Thissize may be adjusted smaller by grinding, or adjusted larger by enablingfurther agglomeration. Preferably, the crystalline average diameter doesnot exceed 100 microns to enable a thin coating.

The first step also yields a wash bi-product including THCA, terpenesand pentane solvent, which are recoverable using conventional processessuch as high pressure liquid chromatography, ethanol distillation, or amechanical means such as a centrifuge.

Both the first concentrated THCA product and THCA can be recovered fromthe wash bi-product and decarboxylated into a viscous liquid having atleast 95% THC concentration.

Alternatively, the wash bi-product can be lightly purged and thenintroduced to other products. It is possible to extract pure terpenesfrom the wash bi-product, and these pure terpenes can be selectivelymixed with a purple shatter product in accord with the present inventionto add flavor and aroma, without degrading the integrity of the purpleshatter product either in texture, hardness and color. In a preferredembodiment, the pure terpenes constitute no more than 1-2% of theshatter product.

In an alternate embodiment the wash bi-product can be introduced into apurple THC product used as vaporizable oil, packaged for use in avaporizer cartridge, or packaged in a vaporizer cartridge. In thisembodiment, the terpene level can be up to 10%. Optimally, the productpackaged for and used in a vaporizer cartridge has a THC concentrationbetween 95%-99%.

The second step is to introduce the decarboxylated THC product into awiped film evaporator, which is technically a short path evaporator thatuses a thin film and a mechanical blade to speed the process ofdistillation/evaporation. The wiped film evaporator is primarily used tooxidize the concentrated THC product. This transforms the concentratedTHC product on a continuous basis into a thin film that is wiped by arotating blade to rapidly oxidize the concentrated THC product andthereby yield an oxidized THC product that is purple in color.

In an alternate embodiment of the product of the invention, variousterpenes are mixed into the oxidized THC product to provide aroma andflavor. These various terpenes typically do not arise to more than 1-2%of the terpene-infused alternate product.

In yet another alternate embodiment, the oxidized THC product isprocessed again in the wiped film evaporator to achieve an above 99%purity and to assure optimal oxidation. This step may repeat.

In a variation of the step of using the centrifuge, the cannabismaterial is saturated by dripping pentane onto it and bagging thesaturated cannabis material in a filter bag having a 25 micron poresize, a stainless steel basket having 25 micron pore sizes, or otherfilter. The step of centrifuging the saturated cannabis material whisksa wash bi-product from the cannabis material out of the filter bag viathe 25 micron pores. This wash bi-product is a high terpene extract(HTE) and contains some THCA along with terpenes, which are bothrecoverable.

Example of Manufacturing Method of Crystallized THCA

The centrifuged THCA product is provide quickly and may immediatelyyield over half of the THCA available, in a pure form. In parallel, thehigh terpene extract (HTE) byproduct can be conventionally processed toyield THCA. The HTE byproduct also includes terpenes and residualpentane that can be processed conventionally. Thus both methods areutilized in parallel. The amount of material conventionally processed ishalved to achieve manufacturing efficiency.

Recovery of THCA from the HTE entails removing or evaporating thepentane and re-dissolving the dry HTE in butane. This enables the THCAto crystallize in the butane rich environment.

In another embodiment, the recovery of THCA from the HTE entails placingthe HTE into a sealed container such as a jar, and spinning thecontainer of the HTE in the centrifuge. Removing the jar enablesformation of pure THCA crystals over time to improve yield of the THCAproduct.

Simply stated, a number of ways are used to process the wash bi-productto re-crystallize and to recover THCA that was not initially recoveredin the filter bag. An advantage of stems from the fact that that thebi-product wash can be speedily processed via conventional andmechanical means while the wiped film evaporator runs. Thismanufacturing efficiency utilizes parallel processes at the same time tomore rapidly product concentrated cannabis products. It is estimatedthat the parallel processing the THCA using a centrifuge and the HTEprocessing at the same time cuts product time in half, or stateddifferently increases production capacity by 2×, with a greaterefficiency in terms of yield. More terpenes are preserved when separatedand purged at lower temps such as the mechanical processing (centrifuge)enables. Mechanical processing at lower temperatures (below thedecarboxylation temperature of THCA) also maintains the integrity of theTHCA so that it can be most efficiently separated or extracted.

In one embodiment the step of re-capturing using butane is at roomtemperature and after saturation allows the butane to evaporate in avented room as the evaporative process cools the mixture allowing theTHCA to form crystals. This process can take less than 24 hours. The HTEbyproduct yields 10%-90% THCA in the form of white crystals and requiresa minimum of mechanical equipment, space and energy.

In various embodiments, these THCA crystals can then be fullydecarboxylated into THC.

The THC is then oxidized by heating in a wiped film evaporator toachieve a purified and purple colored product. The HTE byproduct canalso be further processed to extract terpenes that can be added back tothe purified and purple colored product to add flavor and aroma.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a merchandising display including glass jars enclosingcannabis flowers.

FIG. 2 is a group of trimmed cannabis flowers.

FIG. 3 is a group of cannabis cigarettes with an open end showingcrystals.

FIG. 4 is a cannabis cigarette with a foot, paper, and an open end withvisible crystals.

FIG. 5 is a cannabis cigarette with crystals visible at an open end andhaving paper impregnated with crystals.

FIG. 6 is a cannabis cigarette with a transparent paper that enablesground cannabis flowers having crystals to be viewed through the paper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a merchandising display generally designated with thereference numeral 10. The display 10 includes a plurality of jars 12.The jars 12 are glass and are transparent for displaying herbage 14stored within. The jars 12 each include a lid that selectively opens,closes and locks, to seal each respective jar 12 from ambient air. Thejars 12 shown are displayed with a closed lid and in a lockedorientation.

FIG. 2 shows cannabis flowers 16, 18 and 20 that are dried and trimmed.Although trimmed, the flower 16 shows small untrimmed leaf portions thatextend beyond the surface of the flower 16. Ideally the leaf portionsare trimmed flush with the surface of each cannabis flower as shown inthe flowers 18 and 20. Each flower 16, 18 and 20 sparkles as they arecoated with a first coating and a second coating having crystals.

FIG. 3 shows a pack 50 of cigarettes 26 aligned in a row. The packagingmaterial is not shown, but can be a paper, tin, or plastic wrapper. Eachcigarette 26 has an open end 24 revealing ground herbage coated with afirst and second coating to show light reflective crystals at the openends 24 of the cigarettes 26. The cigarettes 26 in one embodiment aremade primarily from dried, trimmed and ground hemp flowers having adetectable cannabidiolic acid (CBDa) that are coated in accord with thepresent invention. Preferably, the hemp flower material has a CBDacontent of at least 10% on a weight to weight (w:w) basis.

In another embodiment, the cigarettes 26 are made primarily frommarijuana flower having a detectable THC content. Preferably, themarijuana flower has at least a 10% THCA content on a weight to weight(w:w) basis. The combination of the marijuana flower and the coatingshave a combined THC and THCA content of at least 40% in one embodimentof the invention and is readily identifiable by the reflective crystalsat the open ends. More preferably, the standardized THC_(total) is 20%of the cannabis flower product to enable users to enjoy smoking withoutexcess bioactivity.

FIG. 4 is a cannabis cigarette generally designated by the referencenumeral 22. The cannabis cigarette 22 is made from either dried trimmedcannabis flower that is coated in accordance with the present invention.Cannabis is a common term that includes marijuana, hemp and hybridsthereof. Cannabis, from a botanical perspective, is a genus of floweringplants in the family Cannabaceae.

The cannabis cigarette 22 includes a foot 28 for holding the cigarette22, which has very little, if any, cannabis material. It is simply a wayof holding the cannabis cigarette 22 while using it. The cannabiscigarette 22 includes a paper 26 wrapped around ground cannabis flower.The cannabis cigarette 22 includes an open end 24 that has crystals thatsparkle. The sparkles are shown as dark specs in this drawing, but thephysical crystals are somewhat translucent, transparent and reflectiveto reflect light.

FIG. 4 is a cannabis cigarette 30 having a foot 36 attached to a paper34, revealing an open end 32. Both the paper 34 and the open end 32 areimpregnated or coated with the first and second coatings in accord withthe present invention. In another embodiment, the paper 34 is coatedonly with the second coating. The reflective crystals are shown as darkdots on the surface of the paper 34 and the open end 32.

FIG. 5 is a cannabis cigarette 38 having a foot 44, paper 42, and anopen end 40. The paper 42 holds cannabis material in the cannabiscigarette 38 in the shape of a cylinder defining a longitudinal axisbetween the foot 44 and the open end 40, and the paper 42 is at leastsomewhat reflective being coated or embedded with reflective crystals ofTHCA.

The cannabis material is preferably trimmed, dried and ground cannabisflower having at least 10% cannabinoid content. The cannabinoid contentcan be selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrocannabinol,cannabidiol, cannabigerol, cannabinol, the acid forms thereof, andcombinations thereof. Any of the at least one hundred known cannabinoidscan be used in accord with the present invention.

In one embodiment of the invention, a first coating coats the cannabisflower with hardened THC. In a variation of this embodiment, a secondcoating of crystallized THCA, where the crystallized second coatingreflects light through the open end 40. In this embodiment, the paper isalso coated to reflect light using crystallized THCA. Accordingly thecoating of the paper 34 cooperates with the coated cannabis flower toreflect light longitudinally and through the end 32.

FIG. 6 is a cigarette 38 having a foot 44, a paper 42 and an open end40. The paper 42 is transparent to reveal the herbage inside thecigarette 38. The herbage is coated with crystallized THCA and reflectslight through the paper 42 and via the open end 40.

Although open ends are shown on the various cigarettes, the open end canbe closed by rolling the paper tightly into a point in the traditionalway a hand rolled joint are rolled. In addition, although a foot of thecigarettes is shown, cigarettes without a foot can be fabricated to havetwo open ends to reflect light. Further both ends can be rolled tightlyin the embodiments having transparent paper, or coated paper, so thatthe aesthetic effects of the crystals are not hidden or totally lost.

Further, it can be appreciated that the cannabis material, or herbage,need not be presented in the form of a cigarette, but can be packaged inany way desirable by the smoking customer. For example, the herbage(i.e. cannabis flower) presented in a jar can be extricated from the jarand re-packaged in a transparent plastic tube, baggie, or othercontainer for sale to a customer. In such a case the herbage is stillvisible along with the reflective crystals.

It can also be appreciated that while coated herbage, or cannabisflower, is coated in accordance with the present invention, it ispossible to simply mix ground herbage, or cannabis material, withcrystalline THCA to make cigarettes.

This patent application describes the invention by way of example only,and the true scope of the invention is expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A cannabis flower product having a coating consisting essentially of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid crystals having an average diameter of less than 100 microns, wherein the cannabis flower product has a total cannabinoid content and the coating comprises less than 10% of the total cannabinoid content.
 2. The cannabis flower product as set forth in claim 1, wherein the average crystal diameter is between 20-70 microns, an the coating comprises less than 2% of the total cannabinoid content.
 3. The cannabis flower product as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cannabis flower product has a total cannabinoid content of between 20-30%.
 4. A cannabis flower product having a coating consisting essentially of cannabinoid crystals having an average diameter of less than 100 microns.
 5. The cannabis flower product of claim 4, wherein the cannabinoid crystals are selected from the group consisting of crystalline tetrahydrocannabinolic acid THCA, crystalline cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), crystalline cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), crystalline tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCVA), and combinations thereof.
 6. The cannabis flower product of claim 4, wherein the cannabinoid crystals are selected from the group consisting of: crystalline tetrahydrocannabinolic acid THCA and crystalline cannabidiolic acid (CBDA).
 7. The cannabis flower product of claim 4, wherein the cannabinoid crystals are selected from the group consisting essentially of crystalline tetrahydrocannabinolic acid THCA, crystalline cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), crystalline cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), crystalline tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCVA).
 8. The cannabis flower product as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cannabis flower product has a total cannabinoid content with the coating of cannabinoid crystals comprises less than 10% of the total cannabinoid content.
 9. The cannabis flower product as set forth in claim 8, wherein the cannabis flower product is rolled into a cannabis cigarette to yield a standardized cannabis flower product.
 10. A method of manufacturing a standardized cannabis flower product including a cannabis flower having a surface with a coating of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid crystals, comprising: a) providing cannabis flower having a surface and naturally occurring oils, the cannabis flower has an initial total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content; b) providing tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) crystals; c) heating the cannabis flower to between 80 and 100 degrees F. to express a portion of the naturally occurring oils from the cannabis flower onto the surface of the cannabis flower; and d) applying the tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) crystals to the oils on the surface of the cannabis flower to achieve a final total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content.
 11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the step of applying includes tumbling the cannabis flower in the THCA crystals, wherein the THCA crystals have an average diameter of less than 100 microns.
 12. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the step of applying includes spraying the cannabis flower in the THCA crystals.
 13. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein after the step of applying, the cannabis flower includes a final total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content that is greater than the initial total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, each said total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content is measured in accordance with the formula: THCtotal=THC+(0.877×THCA).
 14. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising multiple batches of cannabis flowers; the total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC_(total)) content across all of the multiple batches is no more than 10% greater than the initial total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content across all of the multiple batches, to standardize the consistent total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC_(total)) content of the cannabis flower product at a desirable level.
 15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein at least one of the multiple batches of cannabis flower is rolled into a cannabis cigarettes.
 16. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein as least some of the multiple batches of cannabis flower is rolled into a cannabis cigarettes, each cannabis cigarette having an equal amount of THC_(total).
 17. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein as least some of the multiple batches of cannabis flower is rolled into a cannabis cigarettes having an equal weight, each cannabis cigarette having an amount of THC_(total) equal to 20% of the cannabis cigarette weight.
 18. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein at least multiple batches of cannabis flower have a THC_(total) that is standardized at 20% THC_(total) content.
 19. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the THCA crystals comprise less than 10% of the final total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content.
 20. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the THCA crystals comprise less than 2% of the final total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content. 